Refrigerated drinking fountain



S. O. MORRISON REFRIGERATED DRINKING FOUNTAIN Oct. 10, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 3, 1947 Oct. 10, 1950 s. o. MORRlSON 2,525,709

REFRIGERATED DRINKING FOUNTAIN Filed Dec. 5, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tfjg r47 ing faucet modified in accordance with Patented Oct. 10, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,525,709 REFRIGERATED DRINKING FOUNTAIN Samuel 0. Morrison, Media, Pa., assignor to Sunroc Refrigeration Company, Dover, DeL, a

corporationof Delaware Application December 3, 1947, Serial No. 789,475

r 7 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigeration devices, particularlyof the type of Water coolers and refrigerators.

A purpose of my invention is to cleanse the air which is introduced into a refrigeration space through a filter, and preferably to cleanse the filter by a water drip.

A further purpose is to provide an air connection for introduction of displacing air todisplace liquid in a liquid dispenser, and to interpose a filter in the connection.

A further purpose is to draw air into a water storage and cooling space to replace the water dispensed by an inlet through a filter preferably cleansed by water drip and extending to a point preferably adjacent the top of the water space.

A further purpose is to provide air inlet to a food storagespace through a filter preferably cleansed by. water drip. if i A further purpose is to provide a filter and r water dripcleanser on:a dis'pensing faucet and few only of the numerous embodiments in which my invention might appear, choosing the forms shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

Figure l is a front elevation of a combined.

water cooler and refrigerator to which my invention has been applied. v

Figure 2 is a front elevation of arbottle. Water cooler to which my invention has been applied.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a dispensthe inyentlon. r

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a filter adjoining the water cooling compartment.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

In water coolers or drinking fountains of the capacity, the dispensing operation inevitably involves displacement of water by air. Likewise in dispensing other liquids occasions arise when replacement air must-be supplied. Inth'e priorart practice air has frequently entered from the interior of the water cooler. Such air has, of course, been contaminated by dust, fumes, oil vapors, and the like, incident to the operatio of the mechanical refrigeration unit, including the fan, where employed. Also replacement air is frequently drawn from the surroundings i locations such as industrial plants which are inherently dusty or which present certain industrial hazardsby reason of the composition of the dust. This has frequently led to complaint about the taste of the water which-has heretofore been very difficult to explain or correct, since the source of the difficulty has not previously been recog-- nized.

Likewise in refrigerator spaces, such as food storage compartments, deep freeze units, ice

freezing compartments, and the like, theoperating conditions, opening and closing of the doors, changes in prevailing temperature, or the like,

i may cause air to be drawn in and this again has i sometimes resulted in drawing in air contaminated with dust, fume or vapor, either from the mechanical refrigeration unit or from the adjoining room. I

I have. developed mechanism to minimize or overcome this difiiculty.

Figure 1 illustrates'a water cooler of the character employed in a copending patent application of Orville C. Morrison, Samuel 0. Morrison, John G. Wehrwein, and Earl Gott, Serial No.

6,924, filed February '7, 1948, for Refrigerator and Water Cooler;

This device has been modified to apply the mechanism of the present invention, as shown more indetail in Figure 3.

The water cooler cabinet 20 is of generally rectangul'ar form, and has a top 2l, front 22 and sides 23, as well as a back not shown.

A removable lid 24 permits access into a water storage and cooling compartment 25 which extends the length of one side of the top of the water cooler cabinet as shown, and is separated 21 on the-opposite side. A water cooling unit 28 of a mechanical refrigeration unit whose motorcompressor (hermetic unit) is shown at 29, is in heat transfer relation with the water of the water storage and cooling chamber. Likewise a cooling unit 3!] of the same mechanical refrigeration unit and suitably connected in series with the unit 28 is placed in the refrigerator compartment. The remaining components of the system may be of any suitable character as well known The water cooling space andthe-refrigeration 3 space are suitably insulated at all outer walls at SI.

The upper portions of the water cooling and refrigeration spaces are suitably provided with sterile lamps 32 and 63 for the purpose of germicidal action.

Water is dispensed from the water storage and cooling space through a dispenser 36, here shown as a faucet, which is preferably located relatively high with respect to the water storage and cooling space and connected thereto by a pipe 35 which extends downward, thus assuring that a substantial amount of water will remain at all times in the space to aid in cooling added Water. The dispenser is provided with the usual operating handle 36 or any other suitable operating means for controlling the faucet valve 3i. The discharge opening 38 is suitably covered by a housing as which contains a filter 4E3, preferably in the form of a plurality of metallic screens, which will preferably be of silver, silver plated, or the like, for germicidal action, or other suitable material. The housing is held in place by threads ii and is flanged over at 42 to retain the filter.

Inlet air to the water storage and cooling compartment and to the refrigerator is brought in through a connection is beyond the filter, so that all air entering the connection will be filtered. The connection as is carried through the wall of the faucet at M and is branched at 45 to provide one pipe id extending'into the refrigerator and another pipe fill which extends preferably to a point above the top of the water it in the water storage and cooling space.

In the preferred form the filter is Washed and this is preferably accomplished by a drip valve es which controls a drip port a to allow a minute adjusted by adjusting the valve 59 so that the drip is very minute and will not represent a serious waste of Water.

'As discussed in the co-pending application, any surplus water is caught in a catch basin 5i which drains through a pipe 52 into a waste Water storage container 53 which discharges through a cook 5 preferably located adjoining a bottom recess 55 in the front of the cabinet. Any water in the refrigeration compartment may likewise be drained through a pipe 55 and a trap 5? into the container In case it is necessary to drain the water storage compartment completely, this can be accomplished through a pipe 58 controlled -by a valve 59.

The principles of the present invention may similarly be applied to the conventional type of bottle cooler shown in Figure 2, which is provided with a refrigeration unit as described, the cooling 65 (expansion valve or constrictor) and returns the refrigerant to the opposite side of the compressor. In the form of Figure 2 the pipe 5? is preferably extending upwardly at 41 to a point near the top of the inside of the air space 66 above the neck of the bottle.

The connection to the air space at the top of the water cooling compartment is preferably accomplished through a filter 6'! located in the wall of the cooling compartment and having a filter medium 68 preferably consisting of a series of fine silver or other metallic filter screens. Thus in this case the air derives advantage by going through two filters in succession but it will be understood that either or both may be used.

It will be evident that air is admitted both to the refrigerator compartment and the water storage and cooling compartment whenever conditions require, as by pressure charge or dispensing of Water, and the air thus introduced is cleansed and filtered, preferably by a filter which is itself cleansed by water drip.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Havin thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a water cooler, a mechanical refrigeration unit including a cooling unit, a water storage receptacle in heat transfer relation to the cooling unit, dispenser connected to the water storage receptacle, an air connection to the water storage receptacle to introduce air to replace the water dispensed, a filter at the inlet of the water storage connection to purify the inlet air and a conduit conveying a water drip over the filter to clean the same.

2; In a water cooler, a mechanical refrigeration unit including a cooling unit, a water storage receptacle, inv heat transfer relation to the cooling unit, a dispenser connected to the water storage receptacle, an air connection to the upper portion of the water storage receptacle to intro duce air to replace the water dispensed, a filter for the inlet end of the air connection anda conduit conveying a water drip' over the filter to clean the same.

3. In a'refrigerator, a mechanical refrigeration unit including a cooling unit, a refrigerator compartment in heat transfer relation with the cooling unit, an air connection to the refrigerator compartment, a filter at the inlet of the air connection and a water drip over the filter to clean the same.

4. In a drinking fountain, a mechanical refrigeration unit including a cooling unit, a water storage and cooling space in heat transfer relation with the cooling unit, a dispenser faucet connected to the water storage space, a filter in the faucet and in the path of the water discharged therefrom and an air inlet from the water storage and cooling space to the space through the faucet and behind the filter.

5. In a drinking fountain, a, mechanical refrigeration unitincluding a cooling unit, a water storage and cooling space in heat transfer relation with the cooling unit, a dispenser faucet connected to the water storage space, a filter in the faucet, an air inlet to the space through the faucet and behind the filter and a conduit having a water drip through the faucet and over the filter.

6. In a water cooler, a water cooling compartment having a liquid space and an airspace thereabove, a mechanical refrigeration unit for cooling the liquid, a dispenser connected to the liquid, an outside air connection to the air space, a filter in the outside air connection and a conduit having a liquid drip over the filter for Washing the filter.

'7. In a Water cooler, a water cooling compartment having a liquid space and an air space thereabove, a mechanical refrigeration unit for cooling the liquid, a dispenser connected to the liquid, an outside air connection to the air space, a filter in the air connection, a conduit having a liquid drip over the filter for washing the filter, and a second filter in the air connection closer to the air space than the first filter.

' SAMUEL O. MORRISON.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,228,836 Schulse June 5, 1917 1,319,377 Cooper Oct. 1, 1919 1,337,206 Doering Apr. 20, 1920 1,551,572 Kneuper Sept. 1, 1925 1,692,066 Washburne Nov. 20, 1928 1,708,184 Markus Apr. 9, 1929 2,213,274 Flamm Sept, 3, 1940 2,311,425 Wild Feb. 16, 1943 

